YouthCare was honored to be present as the Mayor and City of Seattle announced that Oak View Group's (OVG) proposal had been selected to redevelop Seattle’s beloved Key Arena. As OVG considered how to include community investments in their plan, YouthCare was invited in as an essential partner. Read more

YouthCare's Luncheon on March 14, 2017 raised more than $700,000 for homeless youth. Thanks to our generous sponsors, table captains, and donors in the Challenge Pool, all donations will go directly to YouthCare's programs.

University Baptist Church recently donated $57,500 to YouthCare. In sincere appreciation of their generosity, we wanted to share a little about our friends there and the great impact they’ve had on our community. Read more

For the last few years, Finn Cottom has been the Lead Instructor with the Zine Project (Zine), a pre-employment training program at YouthCare that helps homeless youth write and produce their own work of creativity while working on employment. Finn knows that the word “zine” conjures up the image of a cut-and-paste guerilla magazine from the 90s. Read more

YouthCare is excited to announce a new partnership with Gourmondo. Gourmondo will be donating a portion of the proceeds from their Giving Box lunches to YouthCare, in addition to offering internships for youth who have experienced homelessness. Read more

2015 was a year of opportunity, learning and challenge for YouthCare, as well as for homeless youth in our community. By reviewing the 2015 Impact Report, we invite you to discover what your support of YouthCare has helped accomplish. We are grateful! Read more

We are incredibly excited to announce that Legal Counsel for Youth and Children (LCYC) and Street Youth Legal Advocates for Washington (SYLAW) are expanding civil legal services for homeless youth at YouthCare starting July 1, 2016 in year-long pilot program funded by the Raikes Foundation. Through a weekly drop-in clinic at YouthCare’s James W. Read more

Paul G. Allen has donated $1 million to YouthCare for the purchase of a new building to serve as the new home of YouthCare’s Adolescent Emergency Shelter. This generous gift supports expanded and improved services at Seattle’s only shelter for homeless youth ages 12 through 17. Read more

The Seattle Foundation's 2016 GiveBIG event hit quite a few snags this year within a few hours of its start on May 3. Donors reported not being able to make gifts; nonprofits couldn't download giving reports. The Foundation decided to extend the event for another day, through May 4. Read more

Thank you to all who joined us for YouthCare's 31st Annual Luncheon. We are honored and grateful to have the dedicated support of our community behind us as we work to help homeless young people transition out of survival mode, stabilize, and plan for their futures. Your amazing generosity raised an outstanding $717,000!Read more

On January 1, 2016, YouthCare welcomed the University District Youth Center (UDYC) into our continuum of services. Formerly operated by Catholic Community Services, UDYC provides drop-in and basic needs services, case management, and hosts a Seattle Public Schools Interagency Academy for homeless and at-risk youth in the University District. Read more

YouthCare was thrilled to be part of the 2015 Community Impact Awards. YouthCare Executive Director, Melinda Giovengo, accepted our award for Youth Development. We thank Seattle Business magazine and are excited about the work of our fellow honorees! Read more

With more than 40 years of experience serving homeless youth and young adults, we can say with certainty that the best way to end youth homelessness is to prevent youth homelessness from ever occurring. Read more

YouthCare is thrilled to announce the addition of two inspiring community leaders to our Board of Directors. Annie Chae of talentCI LLC, and Tom Neary, of Spaceflight Industries, joined YouthCare’s board in September 2015. Read more

Scared and emotionally drained, 21-year-old Chantier arrived at YouthCare's James W. Ray Orion Center with little besides the clothes on her back and a few personal items. Chantier had just returned to Washington, where she had grown up. Read more

U.S. Congressman Adam Smith (D-09) met recently with a group of YouthCare staff, board members, and former clients to discuss barriers and challenges to serving homeless youth and young adults. Read more

On April 24, Governor Inslee signed into law an act to address and prevent youth homelessness at the state level. This bill was among three legislative priorities for YouthCare during the state legislative session, which also included passage of the YEAR Act and Extended Foster Care for youth with significant medical conditions. Read more

WOW! Thanks to the generosity of those who donated yesterday during The Seattle Foundation's GiveBIG, we raised an amazing $38,736 for YouthCare's programs to help homeless youth! And thanks to The Seattle Foundation's stretch pool, this total will be increased when stretch pool dollars are distributed! Read more

YouthCare's annual luncheon is a great opportunity to hear stories of transformation from clients and support YouthCare's work to get homeless youth off the streets and preparing for life. Join us as a luncheon table captain, and you can invite family and friends to hear from community members and YouthCare staff about how their support can make a difference. Read more

With your incredible support and donations, this holiday season was an amazing time at YouthCare! For homeless young people this time of year can be lonely and difficult, but festive celebrations provide them with a sense of community and family during the holiday season. Read more

BNBuilders and several local subcontractors recently teamed up for a day of volunteer service in coordination with YouthCare, a non-profit organization providing basic services, educational resources, and emergency shelter to homeless and at-risk young people. BNBuilders sponsored and organized the event to beautify YouthCare’ Read more

As part of YouthCare's Project SAFE program, YouthCare is offering a series of FREE classes for parents and caregivers looking for tools to use in addressing the needs of their teens, ages 12-17. Parents/caregivers may register for as many workshops as they like; to register, please call (425) 282-0341. Read more

We are amazed! Thanks to everyone who joined us this year, YouthCare's 29th Annual Luncheon raised an impressive $552,000! We offer many thanks to our Challenge Pool donors, whose generosity in advance of the event helped inspire our guests and matched donations of $250 and above, and to all of our generous corporate sponsors. Read more

Count Us In is King County’s annual effort to count youth and young adults (YYA) aged 12-25 who are unstably housed or homeless. In January 2014, King County held its fourth annual Count Us In. Count Us In uses data from the following two sources to create a point-in-time profile of homeless and unstably housed youth and young adults: Read more

Alarmed by cuts in federal funding for critical services to prevent and end youth homelessness in King County, three Seattle-based philanthropies have committed $450,000 to help bridge the gap. Read more

We are thrilled to report that the Macklemore & Ryan Lewis vs Pearl Jam vs Slog Holiday Charity Challenge (in which these three esteemed Seattle institutions compete to see whose fans can raise the most for YouthCare) has raised $109,307.76 with fans of Pearl Jam raising a whopping $48,890.27! Read more

As I sit in my office reflecting over the past few weeks, there is so much to be thankful for. Despite significant federal budget cuts and expiring private funds, our Young Adult Shelter has survived, the YouthBuild and Civic Justice Corps employment training programs remain open and accepting new cohorts, and a full holiday season has begun. Read more

Seattle Parks and Recreation facilities are the first City of Seattle agencies to become part of the Safe Place network in King County. As of November 1, the start of Runaway and Homeless Youth Prevention Month, 37 Seattle Parks and Recreation facilities, are a Safe Place where youth ages 12-17 can ask for help when in crisis. Read more

YouthCare is pleased to join our partners Friends of Youth and Auburn Youth Resources to share a recent evaluation of Safe Place in King County. Safe Place quickly connects runaway and homeless youth ages 12-17 to services, either by reuniting them with their family or providing them with emergency shelter. Read more

We are excited to announce that the Seattle City Council Budget Committee voted Tuesday to approve $130,000 in funding for YouthCare’s Young Adult Shelter. The City Council will officially approve their budget November 25th. Read more

A message from Melinda Giovengo, YouthCare's Executive Director

YouthCare’s Civic Justice Corps crew recently formed a new partnership with Community Arts Create, a local organization working to renovate their building on the corner of Rainier Avenue South and South Orcas Street in Columbia City. The CAC team was desperate for help: work was progress Read more

When she worked with homeless youth as a case manager, Annie Cotton kept wishing she could have started with each one of them sooner. By the time they walked through her door, they had fallen through every crack in every system, and usually had little to no family support. Read more

The teens participating in a weeklong Social Media for Social Change camp last week at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Visitor’s Center were already pretty tuned into the idea of giving back to the community. Read more

On the evening of Tuesday, July 23rd the Neptune Theatre was filled with theatergoers, waiting patiently for a program of new one-act plays to begin. The plays ranged in artistic style and voices – one an abstract multimedia piece, another an exploration of isolation and community. Read more

On June 28, 2013, YouthCare learned that we did not receive a Federal Department of Labor grant to continue our YouthBuild program, which we've been running since 2009. In YouthBuild, young adults 18-24 who have experienced homelessness earn construction industry certifications while working to obtain their GEDs or high school diplomas.Read more

You may remember hearing about Devin a few months ago – a piano tuner and avid pianophile, he wanted to share his love of piano music with the homeless young people we serve. Many of our clients and residents are talented musicians, but have limited access to quality instruments on which to learn. The piano at the James W. Read more

Seventeen-year-old Penelope had been couch surfing for months to escape an unsafe living situation with her parents. When her uncle offered her a place to stay more permanently, she was understandably scared and wary of adults. She was already connected to an Outreach Counselor at YouthCare’s James W. Read more

Thanks to everyone who joined us this year, YouthCare's 28th Annual Luncheon raised an impressive $589,118! Many thanks to our Challenge Pool donors, whose gifts matched donations of $250 and up, and to all of our generous corporate sponsors. Read more

Devin, a piano tuner by trade and YouthCare volunteer, loves pianos. Despite his best efforts, however, the pianos of YouthCare have seen better days. While so many of the young people we serve are incredible musicians, the equipment just doesn’t do them justice. Read more

Today we received the preliminary report from Count Us In, a point-in-time count of homeless youth in King County conducted by a group of youth service providers and key community members from across the county with support from the United Way of King County. Read more

The New York Times explores the growing number of young adults who find themselves homeless, despite college credits and work histories. YouthCare clients and staff contribute their views to the article and accompanying video. Read more

The Tile Project is that rare thing provided for homeless youth: a pre-employment program, where young people (15–22) who might not qualify for more directly job-focused training have a chance to move forward, to prepare for life. Leslie Horton has been “Tile’s” case manager for eight years.Read more

It’s hard to move forward — or just get by — when you don’t officially exist. Without proper ID, homeless youth find themselves in a nightmare scenario: their present situation is made absurdly worse, and the most promising paths out of it are largely blocked. Read more

The holidays are tough for the homeless youth we serve, whether they’re all of 24 years old or as young as 12. YouthCare tries to make the season a little brighter for them by preparing home cooked meals, decorating for the holidays, and fulfilling a few holiday wishes. We rely entirely on community support to provide these holiday extras. Read more

You’ve heard of Black Friday and Cyber Monday? Check out the newest day in the holiday season this year: #GivingTuesday. Businesses, community groups, and nonprofits around the country are coming together on November 27 to promote giving back to the community. Read more

Help spread the word about YouthCare's work to get homeless youth off the streets and preparing for life. GreatNonprofits – a review site like Yelp or TripAdvisor – is honoring highly reviewed nonprofits with their 2012 Top-Rated Awards. Read more

On a cold, dark winter night, a safe and dry place to sleep is out of reach for too many of our community’s homeless youth. As of October 1, safe shelter is open to more youth each night, as YouthCare expanded the capacity of our Young Adult Shelter (YAS) from 15 to 20 beds. Read more

We have a beet bounty at YouthCare, thanks to our good friends at Farms for Life and the wonderful produce they deliver each week - everything from swiss chard and bok choy to purple carrots, and of course, beets. Read more

It has been one year since National Safe Place launched in King County – providing immediate help to teens in crisis and connecting them to resources. Since its initial partnership with King County Metro buses (which account for 1,100 mobile sites), the program has grown to also include 61 stationary sites with King County Libraries, the Shoreline and Renton locations of Compa Read more

“In King County, Washington, 685 youth and young adults were homeless or unstably housed on May 16, 2012.” This is the conclusion of a new report on “Count Us In,” a point-in-time count of homeless youth in King County, conducted by a group of youth service providers and key community members from across the county with support from the United Way of King County. Read more

Ask people what dishes they think of when they think of feeding the homeless and you’ll most likely get responses like casserole, meatloaf and pasta. It’s understandable – these are all comfort foods and relatively easy to prepare (and it’s true, our kids love them!). But ask that question to one of the most popular volunteer cooks at the James W. Read more

"Now imagine if you will, if you had to send your children into this job market without a high school education: think of the prospects of the jobs they could apply for," asked Ann Williams, YouthCare board member and long-time GED tutor, as she accepted a $100,000 award from the Washington Women's Foundation. These generous funds will allow YouthCare expand our program to help more young people improve their lives and prospects. Read more

Being homeless isn't just about lacking the essential basics like adequate housing, food, and clothing. It also means being cut off - from your peers and from common experiences. Each year, YouthCare hosts a prom for the young people we serve and it's always a highlight. Read more

On May 16, 2012, service providers throughout King County, in coordination with United Way of King County, hosted a point in time count of homeless and unstably housed youth, known as "Count Us In." Read more

Thanks to the generosity of over 37,000 donors, local organizations raised over $7.4 million during GiveBIG, a day of giving organized by The Seattle Foundation. It is an inspiring reminder of what a dedicated, involved, and caring community we have, and YouthCare is proud to be among the many wonderful organizations supported during the day. Read more

It's a difficult question to answer, though it is estimated that in Seattle alone, there are 700 to 1,000 youth with no safe place to sleep each night. It's relatively easy to add up the number of youth staying in shelters on a given night, but until recently, few homeless counts tracked unaccompanied homeless youth and young adults living in unstable housing or on the streets. Read more

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month, and at YouthCare that means lots of “Thank you's”! Last year, 1,872 volunteers donated 9,745 hours of their time. Those are impressive numbers, but they don’t begin to capture the impact that volunteers have on our work to get homeless youth off the streets and preparing for life. Read more

More than 1,000 community members joined us on March 22 at The Westin Seattle for YouthCare’s 27th Annual Luncheon. The event was a tremendous success, raising a record breaking $553,327. All gifts over $250 were matched by a pool of generous supporters, and thanks to our generous sponsors, 100% of donations will go directly to supporting YouthCare’s work. Read more

YouthCare is thrilled to announce that Compass Housing Alliance (CHA) is joining our National Safe Place team! Locations in Shoreline and Renton will soon open their doors as “Safe Places,” where teens in crisis can ask for help and wait in safety for that help to arrive. Read more

Since 1997, Trudy Barry has worked the night shift at YouthCare’s ISIS House, our transitional living program for LGBTQ youth and their straight allies (the only program of its kind in the Pacific Northwest). Read more

Despite last night's frigid temperatures, there were thousands without shelter in King County. That's no exaggeration: 800 volunteers found 2,594 people sleeping on the streets, under bridges, in their cars, on public transit, in temporary shelters and in makeshift campsites. This is 152 more people than volunteers counted one year ago.Read more

The Tile Project has been part of YouthCare’s offering of employment training programs for almost 15 years. On the face of it, it's about making art: for 10 weeks, participants (age 15–22) come to the James W. Read more

The holidays are indeed over: decorations are packed away for next year, school and work regain their normal pace, and the days get longer. But we want to take a moment to reflect on the truly incredible outpouring of community support that made the holidays bright for our young people this past year.

Happy holidays from YouthCare. My name is Curtis Knopf, and this is my twelfth holiday season as program manager of Passages, YouthCare’s transitional living program for recently homeless youth ages 18-21.

I love the holiday season at Passages. It’s a difficult time, but I love it. Passages is a home, and the holidays bring that feeling forward. Read more

When his YouthCare case manager asked Jason what he’d like for the holidays this year, he responded, “Oh, I just want a card.” His case manager asked if he meant a gift card so he could pick something out for himself. “No,” he replied. “Like a Christmas card that someone writes in. That way I can keep it for years.” Read more

YouthCare is proud to announce that we have been selected as one of three recipients of the 2011 Seattle Human Rights Award. This award is presented annually by the Seattle Human Rights Commission. We are deeply honored by this recognition, and thank the City of Seattle for choosing us. Read more

What does your holiday wish list look like? The youth we serve have been busily preparing theirs, and the requested items speak volumes about the lives they are working so hard to create for themselves, with YouthCare’s help. Read more

Two YouthCare clients joined our Executive Director, Melinda Giovengo, and Kristine Cunningham of the ROOTS Young Adult Shelter, on KUOW's Weekday Show to talk about their experience as youth runaways. Read more

Through the entire month of November, Budhi Skincare is donating 15% of proceeds from online sales to YouthCare. Budhi offers a unique skincare line for young people ages 9-19, and supports YouthCare year-round with proceeds from the sale of their lip balm. Read more

Young people run away from home because they think they have no other option. Keeping youth from running away in the first place is one way we can prevent youth homelessness and sexual exploitation. Read more

Getting issues to move through the channels of local government can seem like a Sisyphean effort. Last Monday, YouthCare Executive Director Melinda Giovengo thanked the King County Council for teaming up with YouthCare to launch Safe Place, a program to help youth in crisis, within just three months of initial meetings. Read more

We are thrilled to introduce our newly-redesigned website. We believe that it is easier to navigate, more informative, and more dynamic; we hope you agree. Check it out and let us know what you think! Read more

What's an even better feeling than scoring a great deal on a local restaurant? Volunteering with friends or colleagues to make a difference in your community. YouthCare started the season off right on United Way’s Day of Caring with a group of 50 volunteers from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Read more

Teenagers often think up excuses to avoid piano practice, but at “Thursday Jams,” homeless youth show up in droves to learn from and jam with some of Seattle’s most talented musicians. It’s all part of a partnership between YouthCare and Arts Aftercare: every Thursday afternoon, Seattle musicians volunteer their time and musical talent to teach informal lessons to young people who come to regular drop-in hours at the James W. Ray Orion Center. Read more

Young people in crisis now need only find the nearest bus driver, thanks to a new partnership between King County, YouthCare, Auburn Youth Resources, Friends of Youth, and Safe Place, a national non-profit organization that builds community safety nets for young people in crisis. Read more

Young adults experience homelessness for a variety of reasons and need individualized support to exit homelessness. This belief has been at the core of YouthCare’s continuum of care for homeless youth and young adults since our founding in 1974. Read more